The History of Beauty

What is Beauty? This question has occupied philosophers, poets, writers, and artists throughout time — from the era of Ancient Greece to the present day. This book, edited by the famous scholar and writer Umberto Eco, is dedicated to this "eternal" question. It shows how differently people have perceived the Beauty of nature, flowers, animals, stars, numbers, light, the human body, precious stones, clothing, God, and the Devil. The author's reflections are complemented by the statements of theologians, mystics, philosophers, writers, and scholars.

The reader will see that not only across different eras but sometimes even within the same culture, various concepts of Beauty contradict each other. Let them decide for themselves, while engaging with this book, whether the idea of Beauty, having gone through all these transformations, has retained any constant features. In any case, an incredibly captivating exercise awaits their mind and heart.